Girls' Day Out Parts 2 -4
by Hana Noir
Summary: Parts Two - Four of my fic featuring Kyrie, Bulma and Lunch. See the Author's Note for an explanation... >.
1. Part Two

Girls' Day Out

Part Two

A Dragonball Z fanfic 

By Hana Noir

(Author's Note: Something screwy is going on. The first part of this story is up on ff.net, but when I go to edit/upload chapters, the first chapter of the fic doesn't show up. Sorry for any inconvenience this causes, minna… I didn't want to remove part one and lose the few reviews it did have! ^_^ I'm such a greedy lil' thing.) 

*******

Kyrie sighed as she watched the line inch forward. Why was it that EVERY SINGLE TIME she came to the bank, they were busy? And why was it that they had stations for SIX tellers and only TWO were staffed?? It was some sort of Murphy's Law conspiracy…

Bulma was barking orders into the cell phone in her ear, chewing out the distributor who had called her with excuses about a delayed shipment. Kyrie had to admit that she was a bit…impressed by Bulma's colorful vocabulary. Lunch was reading over a booklet the doctor had given her about prenatal development, eyes wide with amazement. 

The elderly woman at the head of the line finished her business and stepped aside. The line snailed forward. Kyrie sighed again. For lack of anything better to do, she watched the old woman's progress across the bank lobby. It was only slightly more exciting that watching paint dry, she figured, but what else could she do? 

The woman had almost reached the wide glass door when they flew open, knocking her on her backside. Irate, the old woman screamed, drawing the attention of every person in the building. She quickly became quiet, however at the sight of six burly men with machine guns trained on her. The biggest seemed to be the spokesman of the group. "Everyone stays quiet, everyone stays alive. All we want is the money. 

They fanned out across the lobby, herding the bank patrons into a tight knot in the middle of the floor. Two remained behind to guard the customers, while two headed for the tellers. The last two disappeared in the direction of the vault. 

Bulma snapped her phone shut, grasping Lunch's hand tightly when the dark haired woman grabbed at her. "It's okay," she whispered, trying to contain her own fears at the same time. Kyrie watched closely as the masked bandits began to rob the tellers, stuffing the money into bags they had brought in. Bulma's free hand crept to her waist, pressing a innocuous stud on the buckle of her belt. 

"What's that?" Kyrie asked softly, having noticed the surreptitious gesture. 

"Personal alarm," Bulma answered, watching the robbers as several of them approached the crowd of terrified people. "It alerts my security team, and let's them track me."

"I'm sure you know the drill," one of them said in a rough, dry voice. "Place all of your valuables in the bag. No heroics and no one gets hurt." Bulma snorted wryly and the man leveled his gun at her. Kyrie quickly stepped in front of her. After all, she had to need to fear a mere gun. One of the first things Piccolo had taught her upon her return was how to use her ki to deflect such objects. "Get down on the floor," he yelled, waving the gun again. 

Kyrie saw the other robbers coming back into the lobby, their bags full and she nudged Bulma. "Stay with Lunch and keep your eyes covered," she whispered, edging toward the chairs near the window before Bulma could think to ask any questions. Once she was far enough away, she increased her ki and put on a burst of speed, seeming to materialize before the doors. She let out an ear piercing whistle, causing the gang and most of the people in the building to look in her direction. 

Bringing her hands up before her face, she shouted, "SOLAR FLARE!!" A white hot blaze of light filled the building, blinding everyone who had looked. Kyrie moved quickly, snatching guns from hands and delivering quick chops to the backs of their necks. She counted quickly, making sure that she had caught them all before zipping back over to the moaning, complaining would-be victims and joining them. 

The Satan City Police Department were astonished when they burst though the door to find all of the bank robbers on the floor, unconscious, their guns neatly piled behind the counter. They began questioning the witnesses, all of whom seemed conflicted on what had happened. Some swore up and down that there had been an explosion, while one old woman declared that they had been saved by an angel, who had struck down the wicked with the glory of God. 

Kyrie, Bulma and Lunch gave statements, saying they hadn't seen anything unusual and they had no idea what had happened. When the police had left, Kyrie managed to catch the bank's vice-president, asking if there was some way she could please get to her safe deposit box sometime today. He looked annoyed, asking for her name.

"Kyrie," she said. "Kyrie Richards." His manner changed immediately and he insisted on escorting her personally. Bulma quirked an eyebrow at Kyrie, who smiled and shrugged. Once she had her box in hand, she opened it with a numerical code, and pulled out ID cards, credit cards and a checkbook. She tucked these all securely in the pockets of her jeans, and the three women left the bank. 

"Who would have thought!" Lunch exclaimed. "Wait 'til Tien finds out that we were in a bank robbery!"

Kyrie rolled her eyes as they got into Bulma's sporty little red car. She could almost hear Piccolo's acidic comments now: **_You can't go anywhere without getting into some kind of trouble, can you??_** Bulma's cell phone shrilled, catching her attention. 

"Bulma speaking." She paused while the caller spoke. "Oh, so sorry, Shinji-san. I forgot to call you back. No, no, I'm fine, the police handled it. Me? Of course not. I didn't have anything to do with it. Right, sure. Yeah. Bye." She hung up and stuck the little phone in her jacket pocket. She glanced over at her companions. "My security chief. He's such a worrier."

"Isn't that part of his job?" Lunch asked, grinning. "Good think he didn't know you about six or seven years ago."

"That's no lie," Bulma said, rolling her eyes. "He'd have heart failure at some of the scrapes I've been in." She drove smoothly in and out of the increasingly heavy traffic, making for the large shopping center that was the hub of the community. The parking lot was packed, and rather than drive for hours in search of a parking space, Bulma pulled up to the entrance and encapsulated the car. The three women entered the huge shopping complex, ignoring the prominently displayed, life sized portrait of Mr. Satan that was waiting to greet shoppers as they entered. 

"Jerk," Bulma muttered as they passed the gaudy picture. They had gone only a few more steps when Lunch let out a sigh of pure bliss. 

"Oh, just look!" she exclaimed, pointing to a window display across the food court. The sign frosted onto the glass declared _Baby World_. In the window were tiny clothes, various toys and every sort of device a parent could wish for. "Aren't those just the _cutest_ things you've ever seen?!?" Bulma and Kyrie exchanged a wry grin and they all headed into the store to browse. 

As they entered the store, alarms began to whoop, startling all three of them. Kyrie dropped into a defensive crouch to protect her companions, then quickly straightened when the manager and both clerks rushed toward them, beaming brightly.

"Congratulations!!" the store manager said, shaking their hands. "One of you is our one-millionth customer!!" She looked at the group. "Which was it?" she asked, glancing from face to face. 

"Was there a contest?" Bulma asked, slightly amused.

"Not a contest, per se," the blonde woman answered, grinning. "But our one-millionth customer wins a dream nursery and three years worth of baby clothes." 

"Lunch!" they both said, pushing the stammering woman forward, grinning in delight. The manager took Lunch aside to get information from her, while Kyrie winked at Bulma. The day was looking up.

"I just had an idea," Bulma said, while Lunch was busy. "Why don't you and Lunch spend the night at Capsule Corp? We'll bring some dinner home and then we can talk. Lunch goes to bed with the chickens," she added, grimacing at the idea. "Then tomorrow, we'll have a cookout! I'm sure Lunch will like the idea. Besides, it'd be nice to get everyone together." Kyrie merely nodded. She had no idea if Piccolo would even show up for something like that, but it was worth trying. Besides, she'd never gone to anything like a cookout before and it sounded kind of fun. 

Lunch rejoined them several minutes later, her face flushed with excitement. "This is wonderful!" she exclaimed. "All I have to do is come back and pick out what I want for the nursery once we know if it's a boy or a girl! And pick out clothes too!" She waved at the smiling manager and they began to stroll around the store. Bulma proved to be quite knowledgeable on baby furniture and the various brand names on the market. 

"We're not boring you, are we, Kyrie?" Lunch asked anxiously when she noticed her friend lagging a bit behind. 

Kyrie blinked in surprise. "Oh, no, not at all," she protested, trying to set Lunch at ease. "I've just never given the idea of babies much thought, that's all." Bulma grinned wryly, remembering how ignorant Kyrie had been when confronted with a baby. 

"You don't want children?" Lunch asked curiously. She really liked Kyrie, but she knew next to nothing about her. She never talked about herself, but rather spent most of her time listening to whoever was around. Lunch wondered if she was perhaps shy. She would have been surprised to learn that Kyrie spent most of her time listening and watching to see how the people around her dealt with the current situation. Kyrie was aware of her lack of social skills and observation was as good a way of learning as any other. 

She tilted her head, smiling wryly, remembering a certain conversation with Piccolo. "Not at this time. Honestly, I don't know if I ever will." She noticed the slightly shocked looks on Bulma and Lunch's faces. "I like children," Kyrie said quickly, not wanting them to get the wrong idea. "I just don't think I'll ever be a good parent." 

Bulma grinned. "No-one ever does, Kyrie. You just figure it out as you go along." They left the baby store and headed back out into the mall. 

"And now," Bulma said, her grin turning . "Clothes." Kyrie wondered what she was getting into when Bulma grabbed her arm and marched her into a trendy little boutique with stylishly dressed mannequins posed in the display window. _Well,_ she thought with as much humor as she could muster, _this should be an interesting experience…_


	2. Part Three

Girls' Day Out

Part Three

A Dragonball Z fanfic

By Hana Noir

Kyrie was tired. Very tired. An all day sparring session with Piccolo was easier than an all day shopping trip with Bulma and Lunch, or so it seemed.. She shifted the bags and boxes she was carrying in an effort to see the new watch strapped on her arm. It was almost six o' clock, and she could see the darkening sky through the doors ahead. Bulma was a bit anxious to get home and had called a local pizza parlor from her cell phone and had told them to deliver 'the usual' to Capsule Corp. She was a bit curious as to what 'the usual' was. 

Lunch was chatting away animatedly to Bulma, glancing back occasionally at Kyrie, who would smile and nod. She sighed quietly. She just couldn't understand why she was so tired. Making sure no-one was paying attention, she powered up slightly, using her ki for an energy boost. It helped, but not much. She had never been so glad to see anything in all her life as she was to see Bulma's car pop out of its capsule. She loaded the packages into the trunk, then gladly took the back seat. 

"—don't you think so, Kyrie?" Bulma asked, glancing into the rear-view mirror as they pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. "Kyrie?" Lunch turned around to check on the younger woman and was surprised to see she was sound asleep, curled up in the corner of the back seat. Bulma chuckled at the sight. "Guess she just can't hang with expert shoppers like us, Lunch. We'll have to whip her into shape." 

*******

When they reached CC, it took Bulma several seconds to rouse Kyrie but she finally succeeded. Kyrie helped bring her packages in and store them in an empty guest bedroom. Once that was done, she looked around curiously. She felt like something was missing, but she couldn't think of what it could be. The annoying feeling had been nagging at her most of the day.

She counted over her parcels, making sure they were all there. When she had finished counting, she opened up all of the bags and boxes, going over each item and checking for anything amiss. Everything was there. All of her shirts, pants, the short skirt that Bulma had talked her into buying, the new boots, several jackets, a long heavy coat and the emerald and onyx pendant that she hadn't been able to resist. She absently slipped the silver chain over her neck, the teardrop shaped pendant coming to rest in the valley between her breasts. She picked up the pendant and examined it idly. The colors had made her think of Piccolo…

Bulma pushed open the door, peeking in to find Kyrie in the middle of the room, tissue paper, plastic bags and cardboard boxes scattered all around her. Her new clothes were tossed into a careless heap atop the wide bed. She was staring down at something in her hand, a disturbed look on her face. "Kyrie?"

She jumped at the sound of Bulma's voice. "Huh??" She shook her head and turned to face the aqua haired woman. "Oh, were you looking for me?"

Bulma was slightly worried by Kyrie's behavior, but she didn't know her well enough to say if it was normal or not. "Yeah, pizza's here."

Kyrie's smile was a bit wan. "Okay. I'm not really very hungry though," she said, following Bulma back into the large family room. Trunks was in a sturdy high chair, picking cheese and pepperoni of a a large slice of pizza, while Lunch and Mrs. Briefs chatted cozily on a wide cushy sofa. In a recliner across from them, Dr. Briefs was holding a scientific journal in one hand and a dripping slice of supreme pizza in another. Vegeta was in a straight back chair in the corner of the room, an entire box of pizza in his lap. Bulma grabbed another slice from a box on the coffee table and placed it on Trunks' tray. 

"You'd better get while the getting's good," she said, giving Kyrie a bright smile. "There may not be much left before long." 

Kyrie settled down in a king sized recliner, pulling her socked feet up underneath her. "I'll get some in a minute," she replied, watching the activity in the room with a wry grin. She felt so tired, and her eyes were growing heavy._ I'll just rest my eyes for a second,_ she thought, wrapping a hand around her new pendant.

Vegeta glanced over at the odd girl, noticing that she was dozing off in the chair. Something was bugging him, nagging at the back of his mind. He snorted and snatched up another piece of pizza. If it were important, it would come to him. 

"Your friend is asleep, Bulma dear," Mrs. Briefs said, gathering up the empty pizza boxes to throw them away. Bulma looked over to see Kyrie slumped in the recliner, asleep. She frowned at the sight. 

"I hope she's not sick," Bulma said. "She's seemed so tired all day," she added thoughtfully. "And she had promised to talk to me tonight. She's a very strong esper, you know." Vegeta and Dr. Briefs both looked up at that statement. 

A light had just gone off in Vegeta's brain when he heard the word 'esper'. He jumped up, knocking aside the pizza box and placed his hand on the side of her face. "Vegeta!" Bulma exclaimed, glaring at him. "What are you doing?" 

He glared at his human mate. "You said she's an esper, correct?" She nodded. "The Namek is an esper as well. A damned strong one too." His scowl deepened. "Sometimes, when two powerful espers spend a great deal of time in each others' mind, they form a bond. They can grow mentally dependant upon each other." 

Bulma gasped, then looked skeptical. "How do you know?"

Vegeta sneered. "There were a lot of espers in Frieza's forces. And we Saiyans have limited esper abilities as well. It was prudent for me to learn such things." He glanced back down at Kyrie. "I'm not exactly sure how a human would react, but it seems something is wrong. With the Namek in the Room, their mental link has been abruptly severed. That's probably the cause of her problems." 

Bulma turned to her father. "Dad, if we get her to the infirmary, can you do anything for her?"

Dr. Briefs considered his daughter's question. "Well, dear, it might be a bit difficult, seeing as we don't really know what is wrong with her, but I can take a look." 

Vegeta shook Kyrie sharply. "Wake up, girl." No response. He shook her harder. "Get up!!"

She frowned, her eyes opening slightly. "I don' wanna go on th' treadmill today," she muttered, batting at him. "No more tests…" 

"What's she talking about?" Lunch asked, nibbling anxiously on a thumbnail. 

Bulma shrugged. "No idea." She knelt next to the chair, patting Kyrie's face. "Come on, Kyrie, wake up. Can you hear me?" Kyrie's eyes opened again, and she rolled her head slightly to stare blankly at Bulma. 

"Bulma?" 

"Yes, it's Bulma," the blue haired woman said, smiling in relief. "You're not feeling well. Can you get up?" She pulled on Kyrie's arm, urging her to stand. "I'll just help you to the infirmary, and Dad can—" She gasped when Kyrie jerked away, almost falling over.

"No!" she gasped, breathing harshly. "No more tests!" Her hair began to whip violently as her ki started to rise. Vegeta snorted, raising his hand to land a prescise chop to the back of her neck. 

"What did you do that for??" Bulma shrilled, catching Kyrie as she fell. She lowered the limp body to the floor and glared up at at Vegeta. 

"Well, then, next time I'll just let her blow the damn building off of the face of the planet, you stupid woman!!" he growled, annoyed with her ungrateful attitude. Bulma's eyes grew wide at that thought. 

A loud knock on the front door made everyone except Vegeta jump. Mrs. Briefs hurried to the door, opening it. "Dende!!" she squealed, clapping her hands in delight. "It's been forever!"

He nodded his head, smiling quickly. "Forgive me, I have no time to talk." He hurried past the startled woman and joined Bulma at Kyrie's side. "Oh," he groaned, placing a hand on her forehead, "I should have anticipated this…"

"What're you doing here, Dende-sama?" Bulma asked, surprised that the Earth's Guardian had left his post. 

"Mr. Popo is opening the Room," Dende said, looking worried. "I realized what was happening to Kyrie and I came right away. I only hope it's not too late for Piccolo." He looked up at Bulma. "I need your help to get her back to the Tenka." 

"We can take my plane," Lunch interjected, exchanging a worried look with Bulma. "I'll get it prepped." 

Dr. Briefs re-entered the room, pushing an anti-grav stretcher. "Let's get her up on this." He, Bulma and Dende managed to load Kyrie's limp body up onto the stretcher. She moaned slightly, but didn't open her eyes. Dende touched her hand, sending reassuring thoughts to her as they moved the stretcher out to the waiting hoverplane. They managed to get Kyrie loaded into the plane, Lunch and Kyrie climbing into the other seats.

"I'll meet you there," Dende said, shooting off into the night sky. Lunch closed the canopy and the plane lifted slowly into the air after him.

*******

(Author's Note: Okay, the NEXT story picks up right where this one leaves off. It is as yet untitled, but watch for it!! Hope you all keep reading!! ^_^)


	3. Part Four

Girl's Day Out

Part Four

A Dragonball Z Fanfic

By Hana Noir

(Author's Note: Okay, I know I said that Part Three would be the last part, but I feel like I left the end of the story hanging. THIS is the ending of the story. The first part of the next story will be out sometime this week. ^_^ And, yes, it's STILL untitled… Titles are such a pain. . 'Til then, enjoy!! Ja, minna!)

*******

Mr. Popo was busy with his own arrangements as Dende returned to the Tenka. The genie looked over his shoulder at the guardian, worry etched on his round face. "It'll be about ten more minutes before it opens, Dende-sama." The young Namek nodded, patting his assistant on the shoulder. 

"Bulma and Lunch are coming with Kyrie," he said, wringing his hands as he watched for the approach of the plane. "She was ill when I got there. I hope we're not too late…" Popo nodded grimly, joining Dende where he stood waiting. Minutes later, the plane arrived, Dende and Popo scrambling to help them get Kyrie out of the cockpit. 

"Let's get her to her room," Dende suggested, leading the way and opening doors for the others. They made it there with relatively few mishaps and deposited Kyrie in the bed. Her face was almost as white as the sheets on the mattress and Lunch pulled the blankets up over her, tucking her in gently. Dende led the way to the kitchen, asking Mr. Popo for a cup of tea. "The Room will be opening soon," he said to the two women, offering them seats at the table. He smiled suddenly, glancing over at Lunch. "Congratulations, by the way."

Lunch blushed. "You probably knew all along, didn't you?" she asked, shaking a finger at him.

He grinned at her. "Well, it wouldn't have been any fun if I had just told you." He reached for his cup, almost dropping it when a shout from outside startled him. They all leapt up, stumbling over each other in their hurry, racing for the doors of the Room. 

Tien was the one shouting. He was supporting Piccolo, trying to hold up the taller warrior as they walked out of the Room. Chau-tzu was watching anxiously, unable to help. "Dende-sama!! Mr. Popo!!" Tien cried as they approached. "Something's wrong with Piccolo!" 

Piccolo lifted his head with difficulty, his snarl sadly lacking any menace. "I'm… fine…" he rasped. "Just… a little… tired, that's all…" His head fell again, as if the act of speaking had sapped what little strength he had left. 

"Follow Popo, Tien," Dende instructed, "he'll show you where to take Piccolo." He watched as Tien hefted Piccolo' weight and followed the genie into the building. 

"What's wrong with Piccolo, Dende-sama?" Chau-tzu asked, worry clear in his voice. "He was fine for a while, but the longer we were there, the worse he got." 

"We forgot to take into consideration the unique mental bond he shares with Kyrie," Dende said, frowning. "They're dependant upon each other now. I only hope they can recover."

Popo led Tien into the bedroom that Kyrie occupied and Piccolo stirred as soon as they entered. He pushed off of Tien's shoulder, stumbling toward the bed. Popo reached to help him, receiving a snarl for his efforts. 

"Leave us," Piccolo said wearily, reaching out a hand to gently touch Kyrie's blanched face. "Just… leave us for a while." Popo nodded, ushering a befuddled Tien out the door. Once it had closed behind them, Piccolo almost fell onto the side of the bed. "Kyrie.." He placed his hand more securely against he face, needing to touch her. He pulled the blankets back, noticing her lowered body temperature, and began to pull off the clothes that she had been dressed in. She broke out in goosebumps as he tossed aside her clothes, but he ignored that, removing his own clothing and pulling her against him. When he had her body tucked securely against his, he pulled the thick blankets up over the two of them. She began to grow warmer almost immediately, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, closing his eyes as he savored the feel of her pressed so closely. He'd missed her more than he realized. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of sandalwood and vanilla. Burying his face into the crook of her neck, Piccolo fell into a deep, healing sleep. 

"Piccolo…" A soft voice called him out of sleep and he opened his eyes to find Kyrie looking at him, a small smile curving her lips. "I thought I was dreaming," she sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer, accepting her hug, and glancing out the window. He remembered that it had been dark when he'd come out of the Room, and now the sun was shining brightly in through the window. Hesitant hands running down his back pulled his attention back to the girl in his arms. Kyrie reached for him, running her lips along the line of his chin. "I missed you," she whispered, the words echoing his head. 

He tilted his head down, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. _I missed you too…_ he thought, his hands tangling in her hair as he held her close. 

__

Something was wrong, I felt incomplete, she replied telepathically, pushing as close to him as she could get. Piccolo sat up, drawing her into his lap, soothing her both physically and mentally. _It was you I needed…_

__

I know, he told her, closing his eyes as she planted kisses down the muscled column of his neck. _I felt the same way._ He pushed her back down on the bed, rising over her, and caught her hands when she reached for him. "You're mine," he growled, staring deep into her wide eyes. She arched against him and he pinned her with his weight, keeping their eyes locked. "Say it," he urged her, his voice rough with restrained passion. "I want to hear you say it."

She stared up at him, astonished by the fire burning in his onyx eyes. "I've always been yours," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "From the first moment we met. I just didn't know it." He sighed as if a weight had just fallen off of his shoulders and lowered his head to kiss away her tears. 

"I needed to hear that," he said gruffly, parting her thighs with his knee as he released her hands. "Look at me, Kyrie." She did and gasped aloud as he joined their bodies as one. She never closed her eyes, however, not even when he drove her over the edge, screaming in release. Breathing harshly, he supported his weight on his elbows, as she ran her hands over his damp skin. 

__

I love you, Piccolo. I always will, no matter what happens in the future. I promise you… He rolled over onto his back, pulling her against him as their bodies cooled. 

"No," he said aloud, silencing her. "No promises. We live in today, and that's all I'll ask for from you." Kyrie blinked, surprised by his words. She didn't know what to think, so she merely nodded, snuggling up to his side as her eyes grew heavy again. He watched her as she fell asleep, then he slipped out from her side and settled in a corner of the room to meditate. He had a lot to think about. 

*******

Piccolo finally gave up on his meditations, and went out in search of Dende. They needed to talk. He found the Earth's Guardian standing on the edge of the Tenka watching the planet below him. "Piccolo," he said without turning around. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

Piccolo snorted, a slight sneer pulling at his lips. "Did you have ANY idea this would happen, Dende??" He was angry with himself, angry with the situation and even angry with Kyrie. Objectively, he knew what had happened wasn't her fault, but he wasn't ready to be objective. He wanted to blame something, anyone. Control of the situation had been taken out of his hands and he didn't like it, not one bit. 

Dende looked up at Piccolo, his dark eyes wary. "No, I didn't, not until she started exhibiting symptoms. I didn't realize until then what a powerful bond the two of you shared." Piccolo scowled over the edge of the platform, unwilling to share his thoughts on the subject. "How long did it take to affect you?"

He blinked, thinking back. "Couple of months, more or less," he answered gruffly.

Dende hummed thoughtfully. "It only took hours for Kyrie to be affected by the severing of the bond. Perhaps because your mind is more disciplined than hers? Were you were able to cope with the effects because of your training?" Piccolo shrugged; he had no idea.

"Where did Tien and Chau-tzu go?" he asked suddenly, noticing the absence of any of the other warriors.

Dende smiled slightly. "They've gone home. I told them I would notify them when you awoke. No sense in them hanging around for days after all," he said with a touch of amusement.

"Days!?!" Piccolo barked out, his eyes widening slightly. 

"Yes, Piccolo, you've been asleep for almost two full days." He paused, waiting to see how Piccolo would react. "But the rest seems to have been beneficial," Dende added, trying to keep from grinning at the stunned look on the older Namek's face. 

Piccolo shook his head sharply, as if trying to clear it. "I need to think. Away from here." He leapt off of the platform and disappeared in a flash of ki. Dende sighed heavily, leaning on his staff as if for reassurance. Why was it that things just became more and more complicated? Somehow he had thought that once Piccolo had accepted his feelings for the human girl, matters would become easier between them.

*******

It was dark again when Kyrie woke. She instinctively looked around for Piccolo but she didn't see him. Reaching out for him with her mind, she found the equivalent of a mental brick wall in her way. Stunned, she retreated, trying instead to find his ki. It was faint, very far away, then it too abruptly disappeared. Blinking, unsure what he was playing at, she crawled out of the rumpled bed and headed for the shower. 

After she had bathed and dressed, she ventured out into the kitchen, finding Dende and Popo sharing a last cup of tea. "Kyrie!" Dende said, brightening when she peered into the bright room. "Come in! Are you hungry?" She nodded, taking a seat at the table. Mr. Popo grinned widely and set about fixing her a nice meal.

"Dende?" she asked hesitantly, wondering if she was overreacting. "Where's Piccolo?"

Dende frowned down at his tea cup, wishing she hadn't asked him that. "I don't know, Kyrie. Can't you find him?"

She shook her head, thanking Popo as he sat a plate down in front of her. She picked up her fork, playing with the food before her. "He's hiding his ki and he's blocking our link," she admitted, reluctantly taking a bite of her meal. It was probably perfectly delicious, but at the moment, it tasted like sawdust in her mouth. She swallowed hastily, barely managing to force it down past the lump in her throat. An awkward silence filled the cozy room. 

After a few more struggled bites, she pushed back from the table. "I left some things at Bulma's," she said. "I need to go and get them." Her smile was a bare shadow of her normal one and she hastened from the room. 

Dende and Popo watched her leave, the latter finally speaking. "Is there nothing we can do to help, sir?"

Dende shook his head, his small face sad. "No, my friend. This is something they have to work out on their own. It seems like for every two steps they take forward, they take one more backward. It's hard to watch, though…"

Kyrie had merely fallen off of the edge of the Tenka, letting the wind scream around her as her body plummeted toward the ground so far below. At the last possible moment, she flared her ki, shooting back into the sky and off into the distance. Her mind was busy with possibilities as she flew along, all revolving around the words that had passed between them earlier. 

Why had he been so insistent on forcing her to admit that she belonged with him, only to leave hours later?? And why had he stopped her from making any promises to him? She had wanted to with all her heart and soul, but he refused to accept the words. She frowned slightly. And why was it that she was the one always admitting her feelings? Why did he never say anything about his feelings? The closest he had ever come was one stilted confession during their time in the Room. 

She set her chin stubbornly. _Fine,_ she thought, narrowing her eyes against the cold wind blowing into her face. _I **NEVER **promised to stay with him. I would have but he wouldn't let me. His loss. And I didn't ask to stay at the Tenka, either. I'll just get my things from Bulma and buy a new capsule house, start travelling again. **IF** that Kurukon thing happens to show up, and they need my help, I'm sure they can find me._ She ignored the pain caused by her bitter thoughts and pushed on. And in the dark sky so far above, a shower of stars blazed against the black backdrop of space…


End file.
